PaulThePlug

With a Five string.... '...Out to Lunch... and a Pudding!'

Capo on fret three and 10-20 thou between fret one and string is a good start... When freting 3, there is small light tap gap to the top of the 1st fret on all strings, so seems fine. 'Doing My Nut' has given me a bit more confidance, so may have a go at sanding the bridge blade down 1mm - 1.5mm to get the action down to about 3mmish E side and 2.5 mmish G side... something to think about and easier to replace than the nut if it goes wrong... I should check for a shim under the piezo bar first... that would be handy. EDIT: Took out the bridge blade and there was a shim between the bridge and the piezo bar. Was lightly glued in so hooked that out with a pin a and pair of tweezers, shim measured 1.6mm, bridge blade back in, a better fit with no bridge roll due to the increase on fitting depth... This resulted in a lower action by about 1mm at the 12th fret across all 4 strings. E now 3mm, G now 2.5mm.

Don't ya just love Basschat!..

Very Nice.... It's great when a new one lands!

SORTED!.. I 'penciled' the bottom of the nut slot, an mic'ed up the needle file, electrical tape either side of a 'nut width' wide section at 0.1" for the E Check the slot angle with a 6" steel rule to get an idea, held the needle file to the slot and twisted, rather than back and forth, until the needle scuffed the pencil line at the bottom of the groove, same with the A at a smidge under 0.08... D and G were OK, and then 'penciled' all the slots with a bit of graphite to act as lube to reduce binding in the nut.

I'll do some searching... see if i can come up with simething SR500? What year is yours? year/month from serial number?

Nut slots on my new HBO-850 Acoustic need widening to take the Adagio Flats. I never payed much attention to the OE Phospher Bronze strings before taking them off but don't think they were a great fit. Never done 'My Nut' before... but got some needle files... not going to purchase special tools for a one-off. Any pointers? or anyone 'Know Their Onions' and lurking in the Orpington / Bromley manor willing to have a look or lend their hand? Don't want to ar$e it up! Ta Muchly...

LOL... I'll use it as a bat for his ar$e! The different black hews from the different grains as the light catches the laurel pieces reminds me a little of his black coat, may engrave Diesel in the new truss rod cover and name the bass after him... I'll have to use the excuse that my Wife's name is too long! I'm a soft sod really... Got a 'Diesel' decal made in the Harley Benton Font... (Xtreem)...

If it was a veneered face as in the website pics i prolly would of, as it was another colour of wood, but as the neck, headstock and face are all the same i'll leave it. I have a pair of Rosewood TRC's, £3 from the bay, gonna keep one Rosewood and stain the other Black like the laurels, see what looks best...

Bass arived by DHL... Had a quick look over, then... Squeaky Phospher Bronze Stings off, masking tape along the back of the bridge to reduce the chance of scratches. noted that the ball ends had been filed down a bit both sides to reduce the width and to tuck under the back of the bridge when flat to the body, string spacing is 19mm Headstock shown on the website looks to have a veneer front, Mine isn't, and i think the better for it, simple and less chance of glue edge. Cheap tuners are surprisingly smooth, although alignment seems a little out, mainly when viewed from the back, seems some being 90 deg to the tapered headstock edge, some more 90 deg Hoz. No biggie, maybe a little wringle room slackening front nut and single rear screw [Edit: Sorted] Logo and Initials looks nice... black plastic triangle TRC didnt.. Got a more curvasious Rosewood-ish TRC from the bay and stained it black. Fretboard is listed as 'Roseacer,' a thermaly treated form of mapel, and looks a lot darker than the website, again for the better, almost ebony black, but rosewood type grain, felt dry so had a lemon oiling (don't start!) 'Snowflake' inlays are so neatly done (I think they maybe painted on to be that neat) Neck is Mahogony 42mm @ nut, 60mm @ 16th / body join, and quite a consistant depth along the length, 20-21mm @ 1st, 24-25 @ 12th... Frets were smooth, ends and binding all good, Gave the frets a quick Duraglit and buff. Gave the laurels a rub with some fine wet/dry, particularly around the soundhole edges and just to remove any glue residue and grease. Six coats or so, every now and again with Morells Black Wood Stain (little tester pot of the bay is more than enough) was still looking dry and purple-ish... 2 light coats of danish oil to seal, smooth and satin, almost matches the fretboard. Out with the dremel to grind each side of the ball ends of the Adagio flats (masking tape around the silk)... a bit of a faff but worth the time as they are prolly gonna live on there for ever. Body finish, edge binding, back join is all good, although as Gloss Black is gonna be polish swirl and fingermarked from now on! (mmm... Should I of stuck to the Natural finish version!) All strung up, neck relief is good at 'paper business card' at 7 and 9, haven't had to touch the truss rod after fitting the flats. Action is 4mm E and 3mm G, maybe a little high but OKish for an Acoustic i think? I'll check under the bridge and piezo element for any shims... that would be simple and handy way of dropping the action a mm or so across all 4 strings... [Edit: Removed the shim (1.6mm) Action now 3mm / 2.5mm - Sorted!] Nut is gonna need a look at with the slots widening [This is new to me and something i have never done before so i'll search and raise a help thread] for the E and A... Didn't check too closely with the original strings before taking them off, listed as 40-100 and mic'ed up at 42/62/80/95 - The Adagio flats are listed as 45/65/85/100 and mic'ed up at 44/63/77/99 Found some round needle files, just need to work out how... [Edit: Now sorted] Sound is nice and balanced and well... 'acoustic-ey'... Haven't tried it plugged in, perhaps i should of before doing all the above? Just in case of any piezo or pre-amp issues (Built in tuner is handy) although it is very unlikely i'll be using it plugged in, It's gonna be more of a 'Corner-Noodler' All-in-all, I'm quite impressed with the guitar and very happy with the outcome of the above... What do you recon? I can now also join in on the 'Show Us Your Harly Benton' and again on the 'Black Guitar' Threads...

Delivered.... and after a few hours of faffing... I am quite happy... great general fit 'n finish... some better pics and some blah blah tomorrow

For Info... Thomann are asking for £18 to return an unwanted package they advised me the return would be free - i rang them and spoke with an International Sales Manager. He said the order can't be changed and they would cancel and refund, i was told the order had left the warehouse 2 hours ago, and that they would look to get the order returned... and if a delivery attempt is made to accept the parcel and contact customer care to initiate a return - I then placed a new order for another colour, anticipating free return and full refund on the first order as discussed. Yesterday 'Item has been returned to sender' is detailed in the DHL tracking log, but the courier then delivered it this morning. Surprised! They are now saying i am liable for the £18 return cost as i accepted the courier delivery. I think there returns policy doesnt quite cover UK as non-EU yet. £18 might not sound much, but it was not what i was told, and £18 to change the colour on a £118 guitar, i might not of bothered (I will include a link to this post if need be in getting the matter resolved)

Hello... 'Since then it's been a daily obsession. If I'm not playing bass I'm thinking about bass, window shopping for basses' Stay away from the Basschat market place then, you get no help for GAS on here...

No. also look at or message... https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/luthierswarehouse seen a rear rout P i am half considering for a budget bitsa...

Rotosound also have tension info on their site

like the stat jack n knobs...

Anyone heard of ''Steam Powered Giraffe"? Eldest (16) is in to this kind of thing... Top Hat and Goggles, Tunic or Tails type Jackets, weird makup... Great to be out and about (Teasco's!) with em getting odd looks! (them not me, well i think its at them!)

Is that you Mo-Dean? - B52's

Stage!.. I'm not good enough for 'in the lounge' yet! It was up for £350, needed a good clean! Do it for £300 they said... Went away for a think... back the next day and it had been sold. Oh Well... Got a £120 Harley Benton HBO-850 'Ovation-a-like' in Black landing soon, https://m.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbo_850_bass_black.htm ...and a set of Adagio flats at the ready...

"....play some Arctic Monkeys?.."

Lying on the sofa with some Prescription Medication... Hawkwind - Astounding Sounds...

Hope it ends up in your hands by some means, if that is still what you want, and it is all thar you expect it to be... Sounds like the bloke that bought it at auction was legit - stange but true!

I was undecided... considered the black one and staining the leaves black to a matt/satin finish... I am now doubting myself. EDIT: Just been on to Thomanns, order has been processed, so I ordered a Black one, and will send the Natural one back for a refund if they can't put a stop on or cancel... EDIT: NOW LANDED...

Luverly pattern on that!